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Friday, November 9, 2012

5 Black Actors Who Could Be The Next James Bond

Daniel Craig may be getting ready to take on the weekend box office today as James Bond in Skyfall, but word on the street is Idris Elba is the people’s choice to play 007 next.

And as folks continue to drop Elba’s name around, it got me thinking
about what other martini-swigging, suit-donning brothers could continue
the franchise. Goodness knows Will Smith and Denzel Washington can’t hold it down for all of the brothers. So here are five others who come to mind:

Idris Elba: Might as well get this one out the way because
it sounds like he’s just one step away from signing on the dotted line.
And it seems like he would be a sure bet—tall, dark, handsome, and has a
British accent that drives the ladies crazy. He’s pretty much the
definition of a Bond. Oh, and he can act too. He’s already picked up a
thing or two about living a double life as the lead character on his hit
TV show, Luther. We’re pretty sure he could break some necks if fools got in his way, too, just like any good Bond.

Chiwetel Ejiofor: Another import who can do no wrong on the big
screen. Constantly flying under the radar portraying supporting
characters in films like Inside Man and American Gangster,
Ejiofor has the swagger and talent to headline a franchise and give it
the dignity it deserves. And this could be just the thing he needs to
propel him as a major star in the game.

Djimon Hounsou: If you’ve ever seen Gladiator, then you
know this brother has some mean combat skills. Though Bond isn’t
exactly known for his medieval fighting acumen, Hounsou’s ability to
take down his targets and command a scene are things he does have in
common with 007. Plus, his confidence and model good looks even had
Janet Jackson singing Love will never do without you. Sounds like a win to me.

Morris Chestnut: Chestnut’s memorable cameo in this year’s Think Like a Man could
have easily doubled as a James Bond audition. He had the luxury car,
badass suit, and sexy woman (Taraji P. Henson) buckling at the sight of
him. All he needed was a fancy gadget to really finish the look. And I'm sure he could have easily gotten some top secret spy information
out of Henson without even having to ask.

Harry Lennix: Lennix is more a wild card choice, but hear me
out. With a booming voice rivaling that of James Earl Jones and Mr.
AllState himself, Dennis Haysbert, Lennix has got the kind of
distinguished appeal dudes want to bottle and sell. Like Bond, he’s the
type of man who’d use his brain to outwit his targets, tricking them
into submission. He probably copped some of those cool futuristic
weapons used in the Matrix sequels, too. He’s ready for the call, M.

Skyfall is in theaters now. Who would you pick to be the Black James Bond?

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More About Reel Talk Online and Its Founder

Writer for hire, Lover of Snark, Former editor at Essence Magazine and Co-Host of the podcast, "Cinema in Noir".
I am mostly freelance writing right now, more so than blogging. You can find my work on The Mary Sue, Vice, Harper's Bazaar, Hello Beautiful, Thrillist, Birth.Movies.Death, and /Film. (https://www.clippings.me/candicefrederick)
I am also a member of the Online Film Critics Society, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and LAMB (Large Association of Movie Bloggers). My aim for this blog is to write honest, compelling film reviews and commentary that highlight my perspective on film, TV and diversity in pop culture.